Method of and apparatus for concentrating and amalgamating ores



(No Model.)

G. W. WAIT'T. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GONGENTRATING AND AMALGAMATINGORES.

I No. 269,356.

Pateted De0.19,1882.

[fir/midi W. Wa 21v Z7 @1757 NITED STAT S PATENT FFIC GEORGE W. WVAITT,OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOLDEN GATEOONOENTRATOR'OOMPA'NY, OF AUGUSTA, MAINE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING AND AMALGAMATING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,356, dated December19, 1882,

Application filed January 28, 1882. (No model.)

I all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. \VAITT, of Camden, county of Camden, Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements-and Methods for theConcentration and Amalgamation of Ores; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and true description thereof. 7

This invention relates to an improvement in 10 devices for saving themineral portion of pulverized gold and silver bearing ores, by assistingconcentration and amalgamation, and with special reference to thefollowing improvements: first, to assist in the concentration of 1 themineral by causing the finely-pulverized particles to settle down out ofthe muddy slimes after leaving the battery and before reaching theconcentrator; second, in connection with this settling operation, toseparate a portion of the muddy water from the pulp before it reachesthe concentrating-machine; third, while the pulp or pulverized oreis inan agitated condition, in compelling it to travel up over a more or lessinclined amalgamated g 5 or quicksilvered surface for the purpose ofamalgamatingthefree minerals; also,in saving the floatgold byamalgamated plates placed above the amalgamated bed, the table beingconstructed to efi'ect the above results either 0 singly or allcombined, and before the pulp passes to a concentrating device, as willbe more fully explained.

The ordinary means at present in use for saving the free and basemineral portions of 3 5 pulverized ores by concentration andamalgamation is to allow the pulp, asit comes from the battery, to floatdown over an inclining amalgamated or quicksilvered plate foramalgamating the free gold or other amalgamable 40 mineral, and afterleaving this plate the pulp passes on to the concentrator for savingsuch mineral portion as passes the amalgamated plate. An excess of watercoming'onto the concentrator has been found detrimental to 5 saving thefinely-pulverized mineral portion of the ore by flooding itott' with themuddy gangue matter, as will be more fully explained. Ore pulp as itcomes from the battery has the appearance of muddy water, because theore is so finely pulverized in the battery that the particles are heldin suspension in the water which is used to wash them through thescreens. The heavy particles which compose the valuable portions of theore soon settle to the bottom, leaving the muddy water on top; but alarge quantity ofworthless material also settles to the bottom, so thatthe valuable particles are mingled with a considerableportion of gangueor worthless particles. The particles which are held in suspension inthe superstratum of muddy water, however, are as a general thingcomparatively worthless. The purpose of concentration is to separate thevaluable particles from the worthless particles, and for this purpose asmuch clear water should be used as possible to wash away the lightergangue matter and leave or save the heavier mineral particles. Thissuperstratum of muddy water is in the way, because when it is presentthe clear water cannot be brought into immedi- 7o ate contact in suchquantities as it should be with the substratum of pulp. It will not do,however, to draw 011' the entire superstratum of water, because acertain quantity is needed to keep the pulp in a free condition to moveand prevent it from packing; but a large quantity of the muddysuperstratum of water can be drawn off with a decided benefit to theconcentrating process. This I call the excess of pulp-Water.

My invention consists in the employmentof a separate and independentdraining-table and "ama-lgamator interposed between the battery and aconcentrating table or machine and driven by a separate and independentmechanism, into and through which the pulp is caused to pass on its wayfrom the battery to the concentrating table or surface, and in which theexcess of wateris separated and drawn off from the pulp, while the pulpand a portion of the 0 battery-water passes on to the concentrator in atit condition to be acted upon by the clean water, all as hereinaftermore fully described. Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation, showing the rela- 5 tive arrangement of thebattery, draining and amalgamating table, and concentrator. Fig. 2 is aperspective of the draining-table, showing the arrangement of thedraining-pipes and amalgamating-plates. I00

Let A represent the mortar of a stamp-battery, and B the apron, plate,or sluice which conducts the pulpfrom the battery to the draining andamalgamating table 0.

D is a concentrating-table.

For the purpose of this specification I have represented an Imlayconcentrator; but I do not confine myself to this machine, and wish itdistinctly understood that my invention can be used and is equallyasbeneficial in connection with any style of concentrating table ormachine. The draining and amalgamating table 0 is interposed between thebattery and the concentrator, so that the pulp is delivered upon itdirect from the battery and from it direct upon the concentrator. Platesor conveying-sluices, however, may intervene between the battery and thedraining and amalgamating table, and between this table and theconcentrator. The draining and amalgamating table is mounted upon aseparate and independentframe, and it is driven by-separate andindependent mechanism, so that it does its work entirely independent ofthe concentrator.

The chief object of the table 0 is to drain the excess of water fromthepulp; but its value is increased by employing the amalgamatingdevices in connection with it, because the pulp is in a favorablecondition to have its free particles of gold, quicksilver, and amalgamarrested while it is passing over the table; but the amalgamatingdevices might be dispensed with and the table be used simply as adraining-table, if preferred.

The table 0, I mount upon suitable pivotal bearings, rockers. slides, orrollers, so that it can have a longitudinal or endwise vibration,reciprocation, or shake imparted to it, and when in operation isinclined more or less from the discharge end for excess of water towardthe discharge end for pulp. The pulp is delivered upon it near its lowerend direct from an apron or sluice, or through a hopper, F, whichextends entirely across the table.

The amalgamated plates for catching the float-gold are arranged asrepresented in Fig. 2-that is, on each side of the hopper F orreceiving-space for pulp is an oppositely-inclined amalgamated plate, gg, each of which extends from the top of the sides of the table down tonear the floor or bottom. The lower end of each plate joins anotherplate, h, or is bent on an angle which extends nearly parallel with thisfloor or bed of the table, the two plates h extending in oppositedirections, leaving a narrow space, more or less, as may be desired,between their under sides and the floor of the table. The pulp isdelivered from the hopper or other conductor upon the table betweenthese two amalgamated plates. Other amalgamated plates, 9 g and h h,similarly constructed and inclined toward the pulp-discharge end of thetable, may be arranged at intervals apart, as shown by the drawings.This draining-table is provided with an amalgamated floor or bed forcatching the heavier particles of free gold which settle through thepulp. This table can also be used as a draining-table independently fromthe amalgamatiug bed and plates when water-drainage only is wantedwithout amalgamation. The advantage of this as an amalgamatonover anordinary amalgamated plate is, its motion causes the mineral to settlefrom the pulp more completely, while its forced travel up an inclinedsurface rubs the free mineral against it and causes the quicksilver totake hold of it. Another advantage is, as the mineral and gangue settleto the bottom or amalgamated bed of the table, it has plenty of moistureto keep the particles free, being all under water, giving the mineraltree chance to settle down through the gangue matter and reach theamalgamated plate.

In.the lower end of the table 0, I secure a number ofdischarge spouts orpipes,jj, so that their inner open ends terminate above the amalgamatedplate It nearest the end of the table, to prevent any float mineral fromgetting out with the waste water without being either caught on theplate or becoming submerged in the water and so thoroughly wet that itwill sink to the bed of the table. The outer ends of these spouts orpipes discharge into a hopper, K, from which a pipe or sluice, L, leadsto the tailing-sluice M.

The motion which I impart'to the table is a reciprocating endwisemotion, quicker in one direction than the other, so as to cause the pulpto travel toward the upper end of the table, as describedinImlayspatent; butIdonotconfiue myself to the eccentric-gears 19 p forproducing this motion, as any other mechanism that will produce a motionwhichwill move the pulp up the incline will answer. The pulp, as beforestated, is delivered upon the table between the amalgamated plates 9g,when the motion causes it to swash back and forth between the plates,thus bringing the floating particles of free mineral in contact with theplates. The subsiding pulp is caused by the motion to travel up theinclined amalgamated floor under the amalgam-- ated plates h, while theexcess of gangue matter held in suspension by it settles to the lowerend of the table, and is drawn off throughthe openings or spoutsjj andconducted to the tailing-sluice. As these pipes take the water fromabove the plates h there is no danger of any valuable particles ofminerals being drawn 0E. During the passage of the pulp over theamalgamated bed of the table the particles of free mineral come incontact with it and are amalgamated and saved. The pulp, with its neededproportion of water, then moves forward and is discharged upon theconcentrating-table D in a fit condition to be acted upon by the cleanwater in the concentrator. The quantity of water delivered with the pulpto the concentrator is regulated by raising or lowering thepulpdischargeend of the table.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The method herein described of preparing ore pulp for concentration,the same consisting in simultaneously subjecting thepulp to drainage andagitation while the pulp is moving from the stamp toward theconcentratin g-table, as set forth.

2. The batteryA and concentrator D,in combination with theupwardly-inclined table 0, mounted between the battery and concentrator,and provided with means for draining off at the near or lower end of thetable the excess of Water from the pulp before the pulp is deliveredupon the concentrating-table, substantially as described.

3. The battery A and concentratorD, in combination with theupwardly-inclined table 0, interposed between the battery andconcentrator, and provided with the am algamating-plates g h and g h,and with means for drawing off the excess of water from the pulp beforethe pulp is delivered upon the concentrating-table, substantially as setforth.

4. Theinclineddraining-tableO,mounted on movable bearings, andmechanism, as described, for operating the same, said table beingprovided with spouts or drain-pipes jj,

the table, in combination with the battery A and spout B, substantiallyas herein described. 5. The inclined table 0, provided with thedrain-pipesjj, and the inclined amalgamated partition-plates g g, andhorizontal amalgamated plates h h, arranged, as specified, so that thepulp is compelled to pass under the horizontal plates, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a preliminary or supplemental draining-table for withdrawing theexcess of water from the ore pulp, the inclined plates 9'9 and thehorizontal plates h h, inclined plate g, and horizontal plate It, incombination with the drain spouts or tubesjj, extending through theprojecting over plate h, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. WAITT. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. Jonas, JEREMIAH KNOX.

which are introduced through the lower end of sides of said table andhaving their inner ends-

